


The Magnetic Force of Colin Firth

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:25:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was official…her life had just become a Lifetime movie.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Magnetic Force of Colin Firth

“Anybody have good weekend plans?” Morgan asked.

“I'm going to a fancy hotel to be sold.” Prentiss replied.

“Well this I have to hear.”

It was Thursday morning and the BAU was heading back from a hard case near Macon, Georgia. Six women had been beaten and raped, three actually left for dead. But the Unsub was finally caught and behind bars. Everyone was breathing a sigh of relief. Emily Prentiss definitely was.

She had an encounter with the Unsub that she wasn’t likely to forget anytime soon. Nor was she likely to forget her Unit Chief’s reaction. Michael Wayne Collins got a little too close to her and Aaron Hotchner went off. Emily could defend herself. She wasn’t always going to win the fight but that didn’t mean she would roll over and surrender either.

But there was something pretty cool about Hotch smacking this guy’s face into a wall and twisting his arm so tight around his back Emily was sure it would snap. She didn’t think violence was awesome, it wasn’t that at all. She was also a little afraid of Hotch when his hazel eyes got so dark they were nearly black. But to see how swiftly he jumped to the defense of a teammate always made her feel good. She wished she could’ve kicked Collins’ ass herself, but watching Hotch take him down was second best.

Now they were going back home for another round of paperwork and what promised to be a boring weekend. Contrary to what most normal people thought, a boring weekend was just what the doctor ordered for Emily Prentiss. So she sat on the plane with her teammates and told them all about it.

“It’s the attack of Natalie’s charities.” She said.

“Which one is it this time?” Rossi asked.

“It’s called Closer to Home, which focuses on needy children right here in the US. So many charities take their benefits overseas and surely there are children all over the world who need help but there are also kids just a few miles from where we live whose lives are a struggle everyday. Nat got involved in it a few years back.”

“So how did you wind up getting sold?” Morgan asked.

“I actually…OK, I was gonna say I volunteered but I was coerced. My stepmother had a very good pitch. So I'm in a charity auction for a date.”

“Wow, all this for a date?” JJ asked, smirking.

“I know right?” Emily laughed. “Actually I'm doing it because it was a good excuse to go out and buy a sexy new dress.”

Hotch looked up when she said ‘sexy new dress’. He’d been paying attention to the conversation, he always paid attention to what his team was talking about whether he seemed to be or not. It was hard this time not to be in the thick of it…he was sitting right next to Prentiss.

“When’s the auction?” Morgan asked, drinking his orange juice. It had been a long night for him too and he was anxious to get home and into his bed. Collins was a tough takedown. He was glad it was done but it called for a day off where he did nothing but sleep and play with his dog. A three-day weekend was in order and he was glad his Unit Chief agreed.

“Tomorrow evening. It’s more than an auction though, it’s a $350 a plate dinner and dancing thingamajig. That’s followed by the auction. Natalie put it all together herself…it’s a big deal for her.”

“How does your stepmother find time to save the world, do charity work, and make us brownies?” Spencer asked. “It seems as if sleep might be improbable.”

“It is.” Emily replied. “She’s just a ball of light and energy; I wish for her stamina. I did tell her that you loved those brownies by the way, Spencer. Don’t be surprised if there are more in the future.”

“I won't object.” He smiled.

“So tomorrow afternoon we’re going to get the full pampered treatment.” Emily said smiling. “We’re getting the mud bath, deep tissue massages, facials, manis, and pedis. Then it’s off to the auction block with me. The things I do for my stepmother. Still, I have to say this night of dinner, dancing, and intrigue at the Willard Hotel is the closest I've come to a date in too long to recall.”

“You should be fighting the men off with a stick.” Rossi observed.

“I am Dave…they’re called Unsubs.”

Everyone laughed and Hotch caught Prentiss catching him looking at her. He quickly looked away.

“Well it’s their loss.” Hotch replied quietly.

“Thank you.” Emily smiled at him. “Natalie believes that there's someone for everyone. I'm sure she’s gotten as many single men as she can to pay up for a plate.”

“I'm so glad my mother lived far away from me for years.” JJ said laughing.

“I don't know, its kinda fun picking out which ones will fear me, which ones don’t stand a chance, and which ones I might…nevermind.”

“Prentiss, you're a bad girl.” Morgan pointed at her.

“I try to be.”

***

“I really should be at least buzzed before doing this.” Emily said.

“You look amazing.” Natalie rubbed her arms. “Someone out there will fall in love with you tonight.”

“Why are you such a romantic?”

“I found the love of my life in the most unlikely place. I know it comes and sweeps you off your feet when you're not even looking.”

“The idea of him buying me first, even for charity, is a little weird.” Emily said. “Don’t you think?”

“Get over it.” Natalie replied smiling. “Get out there and show them how amazing you are. And think of the children…this is for the kids.”

“Yes ma'am. Are you sure I look alright?”

“You are beautiful.”

Emily wore a maroon cocktail dress. It was toga-inspired and brushed her knees. She had these great matching peep-toed heels. A side part in her long, raven hair, Emily’s hair was pulled up away from her face. She took a deep breath, not quite believing Natalie’s words but letting them sink into the pit of her empty stomach anyway. Better to get this over with so she could get a bite to eat and a few drinks. It was for the kids; Emily could put her ego aside for the kids.

“And next up we have the beautiful, spunky Emily Prentiss…”

When she heard her name, Emily squeezed her stepmother’s hand and walked into the Willard Room from the hallway. She walked up the steps to the stage built especially for tonight. The lights were soft, perfect for an elegant dinner. She still had trouble making out faces sitting at the many tastefully decorated tables. It didn’t matter anyway; this was for charity. Odds were low on her meeting the love of her life after he paid for a few hours of her attention. Still, it could be fun…when was the last time Emily actually had fun?

“By day, Emily saves the world working for our federal government. At night she loves to drink wine and dance. She’s a classic film enthusiast, a cat lover, and a coffee drinker. Fluent in a half dozen languages, Emily is the perfect company in any setting. She loves laughter and brings a good time wherever she goes. If staying at home is more your speed, Emily can cook an amazing spaghetti Bolognese and is perfecting her double chocolate cupcakes. We’ll start the bidding…”

“Did my mother write this?” Emily asked, cutting him off.

The audience laughed and the auctioneer, Harry Clemmons, a State Department staple that Emily had known since she was a little girl, just smiled.

“We’ll start the bidding for an evening with the lovely Emily at $250. Do I hear $250?”

“$300.” An older man in the front row held up his number.

“$300, just fantastic…do I hear $350?”

“$350.” A voice came from the back.

“Thank you very much. Don’t forget that all the money goes to charity, folks. So you have a fantastic evening with a lovely woman and a sizable donation to an organization that needs our help. We’re at $350, do I hear $400?”

“$500.”

“Wonderful, we have $500 from the gentleman in the red tie.”

Emily was trying to keep up with the men bidding on her as $500 went up to $550, $600, $700, and then $750.

“We’re auctioning off an evening with Emily Prentiss and the bidding is at $750. Do I hear $800? $800 for an evening with the lovely Emily Prentiss.”

“$800.”

“Thank you sir; we’re up to $800. Do I hear $850?”

“A thousand dollars.”

Emily gasped. She couldn’t believe that the bidding just went that high. She could see the man who bid on her. Fiftysomething, salt and pepper curls, sitting at one of the tables closest to the stage. She tried not to smile; she and the man had crossed paths before. Did he really think he needed to pay that much money to get her attention? She was glad for the charity but a simple phone call would’ve sufficed.

“Wow, a thousand dollars for an evening with Emily Prentiss. All of the money is going to a worthwhile charity folks and the bidding is up to $1000. I have a thousand going once, going twice…”

“$1200.” A soft, Southern lilt came from the back of the room and cheering followed.

“Oh my, we have $1200 from a Southern gentleman in the back. Thank you very much, sir, we have $1200 for an evening with the lovely Emily Prentiss. Do I hear $1250?” his question was met by silence. “We have $1200, going once, going twice, Sold to the southern gentleman in the back for $1200.”

Emily smiled, turned, and walked off the stage to a round of applause. She went straight to the bar and found her stepmother. Natalie had a vodka martini waiting for her; she was grateful.

“I guess Gerry didn’t want the date that badly.” Natalie said as their glasses came together.

“He could’ve made a phone call. To think he might’ve been stuck paying a thousand dollars for something he could’ve gotten for free.”

“That sounds rather naughty and not charitable at all.” Natalie said laughing.

“I was talking about a date.” Emily replied. “I was!” she exclaimed when her stepmother gave her a raised eyebrow.

“He thinks your father might disapprove.”

“I'm almost 40 years old…its not Daddy’s decision.”

Gerald Lawford worked for the Department of Justice. He and Emily had known each other for decades and there were times when they were almost dating. He was nearly 10 years older than her, had broken her heart once, and she returned the favor by breaking his the next time around. They seemed to be two ships passing in the night…Emily had resigned herself to that a long time ago.

She still adored him though. He was the only ex she didn’t feel freaked when she thought about running into him in a public place like the mall or a museum. Though time and life had surely changed them both, if he called and wanted to see her, Emily would surely go. There were few people in her life that knew her so well yet managed to stick around.

“Well he was outbid.” Natalie said. “Maybe that phone call will be his next step.”

Emily nodded. She couldn’t believe someone bid $1200 for an evening with her. What was she going to do? What did they want to do? It was bad enough dating was practically a foreign concept to her; Emily had no idea what to do when someone was paying for her time. She surely hoped he didn’t think he was getting the whole package for his dollar. Well, she didn’t want to shut down too soon…he might be gorgeous.

“I'm hungry and I need a clove.” She said. “I was really nervous up there. It felt even weirder than coming out. Do you remember how nervous I was that night?”

“You were still beautiful, and the nerves hardly showed. You have a series of masks you wear for whatever situation you find yourself in the middle of. Tonight on that stage you looked bold, fun, and cheeky. It radiated and connected with the audience.”

“And I thought I was the profiler.”

“C'mon,” Natalie slipped her arm in Emily’s after they finished their cocktails. “The rain has slacked some. Let’s step out to the veranda and have a little smoke while we can.”

“You won't be missed?” Emily asked, so glad her stepmother loved to indulge in the habit occasionally. Vices were much more fun when you had company.

“The auction should be going on for at least 40 more minutes. I have a little flexibility, time I want to spend with my daughter.”

Emily smiled as they stepped outside onto the veranda. The rain had stopped for the time being but they could both still smell it in the air. Autumn was coming; there was a slight chill underneath the warm air blowing in Washington, DC. Natalie pulled two Ziganov cloves from the cigarette case in her small purse. She lit the one between her lips and then lit Emily’s. They both took deep inhales and relaxed.

“I'm glad I did this.” Emily said.

“Really?”

“Yeah, it was for charity and for you, Nat. And of course the selfish side of me is thinking about actually getting a date out of it. Maybe I've just been watching too much Lifetime lately but I keep imagining this Prince Charming is going to come and sweep me off my feet tonight. God,” Emily laughed. “I think I've reached that point.”

“What point?” Natalie asked.

“I’ll call it the Meredith Baxter-Birney point.”

“No honey, don’t, that’s so 90s. It’s at least the Debra Messing point.”

“Oh my God, you might be right. I should just get a gay best friend, move in with him, and spend the rest of my life yearning for Stone Phillips.”

“Emily, it was Will who yearned for Stone Phillips.” Natalie said.

“I don’t even get Stone Phillips fantasies? I like being Debra Messing less and less.”

They were both laughing when a voice interrupted the levity.

“Excuse me, Agent Prentiss?”

“Yes?” she turned around and looked at him as he stepped out of the shadows. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s a long story. Hello, Natalie.”

“Hello, Agent Hotchner.”

She smiled as Hotch approached them. He gave Natalie a kiss on the cheek and a little hug. Emily was baffled. He never once touched her but her stepmother got a hug and kiss. What the hell was that? He hadn't even hugged her after she got beat up or almost killed in a car accident. What did she have to do for a hug from this man? Maybe she should ask her stepmother.

“You look beautiful tonight…you both look absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Natalie smiled again. Actually she’d never stopped smiling.

Emily had a feeling that she had a stupid look on her face. She wanted to go check it out but running away from the situation didn’t seem that smart.

“I’ll leave you two alone to talk.”

“But Nat, we came out here to have a clove and some air.”

“Yes darling and I'm still going to do that. I’ll just step around the corner; I’ll be fine.”

“No one’s over there…be careful.” Emily said.

“I’ll be fine. Excuse me.”

Natalie walked away and Emily turned to Hotch. He was sticking his hands into his pockets. He looked amazing tonight, in full Hotch gear but there was also something more. The suit was black, the tie the same maroon color as her dress. His shoes seemed even spiffier than usual and his hair wasn’t gelled to death but it was nicely brushed. He also smelled really good, the scent flew on the breeze and engulfed her. It was official…her life had just become a Lifetime movie.

“What are you doing here?” she asked again. “This is a $350 a plate charity dinner without an empty seat in the house.”

“I know a guy; he got me in.” Hotch smiled.

“Really? Why?”

“I wanted to give. Charity begins at home, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Emily nodded and smiled. She was more than a little confused but had the feeling this wasn’t going to be a situation where the answers came just because she asked the questions. It was probably better to go with the flow. He was there; he looked handsome and smelled good. What was there to complain about? “So how much did you give to charity tonight, Aaron?”

“A whopping $1200.” He replied. “I think it was worth every cent.”

“Hotch…”

“I just have one favor to ask.”

“Um…what is it?”

“You're definitely going to have to cook us dinner. I'm broke now.”

Emily laughed, coughing a bit. She recovered and laughed some more.

“You bought me, Hotch?” she asked.

“That makes it sound a lot less romantic than I planned. I gave to a worthwhile charity and I get to spend an evening with the lovely Emily Prentiss.”

“I don't know what to say. Why?”

“Because sometimes you just have to find an adventurous way to let someone know how you feel.” He said.

She was speechless. Emily put out her clove and just stood there looking at her Unit Chief. He was the one; he was the man she dreamed about. He wasn’t perfect, he was perfectly imperfect. Sometimes they were so alike she didn’t know how she hadn't killed him in the early days when there was tension.

That all seemed like so long ago. Ever since Milwaukee, Haley deserting the Hotchner marriage, and the team losing Gideon, the two agents had a different connection. They could depend on that connection in the field. Emily even tried to be a friend to him outside the boundaries of the FBI. The man had more brick walls and barbed wire than Alcatraz. It seemed like whenever she wanted to get in she couldn’t.

There were times Emily even thought he might be trying to get through all of her mazes but she just couldn’t let herself believe that. It was better to keep her guard up and her emotions down. It was better for everyone involved. And now they were standing on the veranda of a luxury hotel and she had no idea what the next step was. It was so unbelievable she was waiting for the director to yell cut. Maybe Ashton Kutcher would come around the corner and say she was being Punk’d.

“Who would play you?” she asked.

“I'm sorry?”

“Who would play you…in the movie? Nat says I'm Debra Messing if this is a Lifetime movie. I'm waiting for my Prince Charming to come and sweep me off my feet, even if it seems like it’s just too late. But here you suddenly are. Who would play you?”

“I don’t think anyone has ever asked me something like that before. No, I'm sure no one has.”

“Well, there's a first time for everything.” Emily said.

“Colin Firth. Do you think he can do a non-descript American accent?”

“I don’t know, but I know that’s the right answer.”

She slipped her arms around him and Hotch pulled her close. Their first kiss was as magnetic and magnificent as he knew it would be. He wondered what their second and third would be like. He’d even thought about their fifth and their fiftieth, though surely he would stop counting by then. But it was their first that would be the most memorable.

“Colin Firth wins every time.” he murmured against her lips.

“Mmm, I have to say that Emily Prentiss won this round…hands down.”

They kissed again, escaping for just a few moments into a place where it was only the two of them. Life, work, and everything in between might come first if they made it as a couple but for one night Hotch wanted to give Emily the fairy tale and the happily ever after. He already had it just holding her in his arms.

***

  



End file.
